Driving and setting tool for blind fasteners



' April 23, 1957 J. L.A TORRE 2,789,597

DRIVING AND SETTING TOOL FOR BLIND FASTENERS Fi1ed Jan. 3. .1955

v as 34 f b 6 5 3" INVEN TOR. (JOSEPH L Toma];-

United States PatentO DRIVING AND SETTING TOOL FOR BLIND FASTENERS Joseph La Torre, Sunland, Calif. Application January 3, 1955, Serial No. 479,449 2 Claims. (Cl. 14432) The invention relates to an adapter tool for use in driving and setting a fastener of the type commonly referred to as a blind fastener wherein the fastener generally includes a head at one end and an unheaded shank at the other end, adapted to be extended through registering openings in members to be secured together, and having wrenching surfaces for coaction with the adapter tool in the forming of a secondary head on the unheaded shank, whereby the two heads may cooperate to secure the apertured members together.

The general object of the invention is to provide an adapter tool for use in driving and setting a blind fastener for effecting a secondary head at the blind end of the fastener.

A specific object is to provide such an adapter tool wherein the driving portion of the tool is rotatably supported within a hollow guide, the guide having a wrenching surface for holding one element of the fastener stationary and the rotatable member having a wrenching surface for eifecting rotation of the shank portion of the fastener.

A further object is to provide an adapter tool for use in driving and setting a blind fastener in which means are incorporated for automatically ejecting the severed slug of the fastener from the adapter tool.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing specification and appended drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the driving and setting adapter tool as used with a power actuated wrench;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the driving and setting adapter tool in position for setting a blind fastener;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of the tool, the setting of the fastener having been completed; and

Fig. 4 is a further fragmentary detail view.

In general, the adapter tool for use in driving and setting a blind fastener includes an external guide A having a wrenching surface for holding one element of the blind fastener, the driving tool B being rotatably journalled within the external guide and having a wrenching surface for engaging the second element of the fastener. The slug ejecting mechanism C is housed interiorly of the driving tool.

The external guide or adapter A includes the hollow shank 10, the internal bore 11 of which is preferably cylindrical and communicates with the counterbore 12 in the enlarged base portion 13. At the nose end of the shank a frusto-conical internal wall 14 serves as a stop for the tapered end 15 of the driving tool. The nose portion of the guide has an aperture 16 to permit entry of the stem 17 of the fastener. The nose portion of the guide is provided with a suitable wrenching surface for engagement with the complementary wrenching surface in the head 18 of the outer or female member of the fastening device. The form of wrenching surface may be of any suitable type as desired, the form as shown in the drawing (and shown most clearly in Fig. 4) includes the axially 2,789,597 Patented Apr. 23, 1957 extending lugs 20 which enter the complementary slots 21 in the end face of the outer member of the fastening device. The outer member of the fastening device includes the shank portion 22 which has the frusto-conical external wall 23 at its inner end. The shank as well as the head of the outer member is internally threaded throughout the length thereof. The inner or male member, indicated generally by the numeral 24, includes the head portion 25 integral with the externally threaded shank 26 which is integral with the elongated stem portion 17 which has the wrenching surfaces 27 on diametrically opposite sides thereof for engagement by the complementary wrenching surfaces 28 (see Fig. 4) on the driving tool B. If desired, the external threads on shank 26 can be continued throughout the length of the stem 17, the wrenching surfaces being provided along the length thereof to the extent as indicated in Fig. 2. The aperture 29 in the end of the driving tool is of sufiicient size to permit the stem 17 to advance inwardly into the interior of the driving tool as the inner member of the fastening device is threaded into the outer member. As the inner member is threaded into the outer member by rotation of the stem 17, the sleeve 31 which is engaged by the annular shoulder 32 is expanded over the frusto-con-ical wall 23 of the outer member until the inner end of said sleeve engages the inside face 33 of the member 34 which is being fastened to the member 35. The details of my fastening device are more fully set forth in my co-pending application S. N. 303,523, filed August 9, 1952.

The driving tool has a counterbore 37 communicating with the bore 38 in which the wrenching surfaces are provided and an annular shoulder 39 serves as a stop for the plunger 40 which is under continuous tension by the compression spring 41. If desired, the driving tool can be pinned to a wrenching shank 42 by means of a suitable pin 43 and the compression spring abuts against the inner end of the shank.

The operation In the use of the tool for setting the fastening device any suitable wrenches may be employed wherein the guide A is held stationary and the driving tool B is rotated relative to the guide for effecting the setting of the fastening device. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a power driven wrench employed with my setting tool. The power wrench includes the housing 45 for enclosing the motor which rotates the spindle 46, the spindle having a socket therein for engaging the wrenching surface 47 to impart rotation to the driving tool B. The adapter 43 is threaded onto the hub 49 which is stationary with the tool housing. The reduced end 50 of the adapter has an annular groove 51 and a hole 52 drilled through the wall of the shank 50 so that the radially inwardly directed finger 53 of the snap ring 54 can project into the diagonal groove 55 formed in the cylindrical external wall of the head portion 13 of guide A. Thus the guide is capable of limited rotative and axial movement relative to the housing 48 within the limits of the slot 55.

The stem 17 of the fastener is of sufiicient length to enter the opening 29 in tool B prior to the establishment of the wrenching connection between the nose of guide A and the head 13 of the fastener. After the lugs 20 are received within the slots 21, then actuation of trigger 56 will effect rotation of the spindle 46 which drives the shank 42 to which the adapter tool B is connected, thereby rotating the male fastener member 24 and causing the same to be threaded into the female member until the sleeve 31 is expanded and advanced into engagement with the wall of member 34. At this moment the male member of the fastener is fully threaded into the female member and continued rotation of tool B affords sufiicient torque to twist the stem 17 until it is severed from the threaded portion 26 of the fastener, all in the manner as indicated in Fig. 3. During the threading of the male fastener member into the female member, the end of the stem 17 engages the plunger 40 causing the same to be retracted within the bore 37 against the tension of spring 41 to the approximate position as shown in Fig. 3 and when the guide A is withdrawn away from the fastener, the spring pressed plunger will automatically eject the resultant slug 17 out of the end of the driving tool B preparatory to moving the tool to drive and set the next fastener device. 1

While I have shown a power actuated wrench for driving and setting the fastening device, it will be understood that manually operated wrenches of other types may be employed for holding the guide stationary while efiecting rotation of the driving tool B.

I claim:

' 1. For use in setting a blind fastener which includes an outer member in the form of a nut having an expander cone at one end and a head with wrenching surfaces at its other end, and an inner member in the form of a bolt having at one end an annular shoulder for driving a sleeve on a said expander cone and at its other end a stem having external wrenching surfaces, said stem projecting through said head and adapted to be severed from said bolt; a bolt-holding type tool comprising: a tubular guide having an open end provided with wrenching means for mating with the wrenching surfaces of said head and having an internal cylindrical bearing wall and a bearing shoulder projecting inwardly from said wall at said open end thereof; a cylindrical adapter rotatably mounted within said bearing wall and having, at one end thereof,

means providing end-bearing engagement with said bearing shoulder, said adapter having atsaid one end a socket to receive and mate with the external wrenching surfaces of said stem, having an axial hole, of a diameter larger than said socket, extending from said socket toward its other end, and having an annular stop shoulder formed as an offset between said socket and its said hole; a driving member secured to and closing said other end of the adapter; an ejector piston'slidable axially in said hole; a coil spring in said hole, under compression between the end of said driving member and said ejector piston, said spring yielding to allow said stem to enter said hole as said fastener is being set, and thereafter functioning to urge the piston against said annular stop shoulder for ejecting the severed stem from said socket, when the tool is withdrawn from a set fastener.

2. A tool as defined in claim 1, including housing and handle means supporting and attached to said guide for holding the same in a stationary position; and means rotatably mounted in said housing and handle means for transmitting rotation to said driving member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Campbell Oct. 10, 1950 

